MERRY CHRISTMAS! 2016

Merry Christmas!!

what a beautiful year it has been for us.
we're a family of four now this year and that makes for the best Christmas gift we could ever receive.

last year's card with tanner in my belly HERE :)

card design // CKFireboots

photography // kristal joy photography

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29

merry christmas, love the hjelseths 

xoxo

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Photo Every Hour | Family Christmas Vacay 2016 - Suncadia

we did this trip last year for the first time and as Brandon and I talked more and more, decided it's going to be an annual trip for us. 

same place. same condo. but one more family member this year :)

7am

8am

9am

10am

11am

12pm

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

...and rolled ourselves into bed at 11:00 after we found ourselves asleep on the couch with Christmas Vacation still playing :)

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Christmas 2016 Pictures

since having babies, taking family pictures means so much to me. and they become even more meaningful when I look back after time has passed. to capture and freeze these moments is everything as these babies are growing and changing ever so quickly and not going to be slowing down anytime soon!

it can feel a bit chaotic at times but that's also just real life ;) kristal always amazes me at the moments she captures for us.
original plan was to be at a local tree farm, but living in WA the rain isn't always in our favor. being in this old studio downtown was just as great and no way having two kiddos out in the rain and mud would've gone well!

last year's pictures HERE. I am amazed at how much harper has changed over this last year.

it was hard to choose which to share, so here's a majority of them :)

this first one is my absolute fave.

 ...and the best for last ;) can't wait to show them both this one in a few years.

 we're heading to Suncadia for a few days this next week and we are all so ready for it. we did this last year too, and will likely be making it an annual thing for us before the holiday. there's so much busy-ness and hussle during december. we found it so nice to escape for a couple of days and just enjoy our family without the to-do lists.

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

Christmas Holiday Fun List

I've always been the "no Christmas until after Thanksgiving" kind of person. I know, I know... some think I'm all bahumbagh because of it. well.... having kids is changing me. just a little.

the christmas decorations were brought in from the garage this last weekend, I'm already writing a christmas bucket list for us this year, and as I'm sitting here typing, I've turned on the classic rudolph show for harper.

...and I'm actually loving it!!

having kids (especially now of age to understand more of the excitement) makes this holiday even that much more fun! I can't wait for us to do all these fun holiday things together and to see harper light up and enjoy it all with us!

here's one of our pictures from last christmas season. I was just barley pregnant with tanner :)
so excited to take our family pictures this weekend!

2016 Christmas holiday fun list:

--decorate the tree as a family with christmas music playing in the background and sipping on hot apple cider

--bake + decorate sugar cookies. I"m on the lookout for the softest sugar cookie recipe. I've yet to find one that I've fallen in love with.

--ZOO lights at our local zoo. we've been before, but I just know harper is going to LOVE it this year! she already loves when we go to the zoo and this will be magical for her.

--drive around neighborhoods looking at christmas lights with some hot cocoa :)

--watch christmas movies in our christmas jammies while eating stove popped popcorn

--make, cut, and wrap our annual homemade caramels

--deliver christmas goodies to our neighbors. we did this last year and it was so fun to quickly see each of our neighbors. we all live on the same street, yet sadly, we rarely get to see each other unless it's in passing while going to get the mail.


...and tonight we're breaking out matching christmas jammies!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!
we always something to be thankful for.

Xoxo

-Brittney

CHRISTMAS 2015

Best Christmas to date.

The joy of a child on Christmas makes this holiday (which is already our favorite) that much more magical. I had family come to visit before and after Christmas, which made our holiday extend just a few more days (like 6 more) - no complaints here!

Christmas. A day to celebrate Jesus' birth, and that we did! 

We started Christmas Eve with going to the late afternoon candlelight service. Rather than sending Harper off to nursery, we decided we wanted to share this experience with her. Seeing the amazement in her eyes along with her little innocence, brought tears to my eyes.

Following the service, we headed back to our house to spend the evening with family. It was full of eating, drinking, sugar cookie decorating, and a gift exchange for the adults - which causes more anxiety than should be normal as everyone stresses about which gift they are going to end up with!

Once everyone had left and we finally got Harper down for bed, it was time to play Santa and get ready for the morning. Brandon and I were filled with so much excitement at the anticipation of Christmas morning for Harper to see her gifts. No doubt, more than her! :)

Christmas morning was even more magical that I could've imagined! Harper had so much fun opening packages, playing in the wrapping paper, enjoying her new toys, and then repeat :) Once we finished breakfast + gift opening, we headed over to Brandon's parents' to continue on with 'Christmas morning'. 

We shared a great meal with a house full of family and friends. 

Harper never made it out of her jammies.

Took naps.

And failed at taking a family picture.

It was all just perfect :)

Being that at this point we have also had New Years Eve... here's how the night finished out with family.

A game of Apples to Apples + jammies + chamomile tea.

Happiest New Year to you!!

xoxo

-Brittney

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 2015

We had a great Christmas and hope you did too!

card design: CKFireboots on Etsy

photography: Ivy and Tweed 

xoxo

-Brittney

'TIS THE {busy} SEASON

And that it is! SO busy!!

errands.

parties. 

shopping. 

schedules to follow.

party planning.

house decorating.

gift wrapping.

I could keep on going.. but I won't bore you with that - you get the jist!

With all that to say, lately I've been trying to take time to intentionally put a piece of my energy solely into my little family. And so glad I have. I don't want this season to fly by and me hardly remember it because I was too busy. With Harper being able to show her excitement this year, I want to enjoy it right there with her and soak up every bit of it.

Though the blog has been a bit neglected, I must say it has so been worth it.
I mean look at these 'cheeks' I've been spending my days with :)

Tomorrow we are leaving for a quick family get-away for the weekend and we couldn't be more excited!

This is usually the time of year when the last thing we can think about is going out of town. But I am so glad we are! Just thinking about the memories we are going to make with our little Harper gives me that Christmas morning feeling!

When we get back though, it's holiday crunch time! We are nearly two weeks away from Christmas :)

xoxo

-Brittney

Christmas FOLLOWS Thanksgiving

I've always been 'that' person.

I've had a rule.  No celebrating Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving. No Christmas music. No Christmas decorations. No Christmas festivities. (I'm sounding a lot like scrooge...) Until that Friday after. Because we need to honor Thanksgiving and not blow right on past it to get to the Christmas holiday! And as soon as Thanksgiving passes, it is 100% Christmas season! Cheers! Right??!

...Well all that being said. I've felt that way until...now. And now my foot is in my mouth.
Having a child who is excited about all things.. I now get it. Her joy and the way she lights up makes for me to wish this time of year would never come to an end.
Bring on Christmas and let's embrace it all as 'the holiday season' :)

A couple weekends ago I was getting the itch to put up our tree and Christmas decorations (but I didn't).
Since we are hosting Friendsgiving this year it was imperative that I leave the fall decor up just a little bit longer :) BUT come Monday (Friendsgiving is this Sunday) fall is coming down and Santa's workshop will be taking place over here before we book it to Idaho for Thanksgiving!

And on that note... g i f t s. I would like to just burry my head in the sand on this one. I haven't bought one single Christmas gift. Nope. Not one. And we're looking at only five more weeks 'til Christmas Eve! With lots of festivities and major 'to-do lists' crammed on in there as well.
So this is another reason as to why I'm jumping on the 'start celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving is over' bandwagon! I'm just running out of time :)

I can't be the only one right?! I know so many feel so strongly about how the holidays are celebrated.
Christmas FOLLOWS Thanksgiving. It's just the HOLIDAY SEASON!

One of the highest priorities on my list right now... To find new family stockings for us! I never got one for Harper last year so it's time we all upgrade :) These ones are really speaking to me. #christmashearteyes

Happy Holidays!!

xoxo

-Brittney